


Coffee & Cigarettes

by cowboykylux



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, CEO Armitage Hux, CEO Kylo Ren, Coffee Shops, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Mild Angst, Misunderstandings, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-03-21 02:42:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13731426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cowboykylux/pseuds/cowboykylux
Summary: Two high profile CEOs, one local cafe, and more coffee than any person should probably consume. It is in this local spot that two men would meet and become friends, and who knows, maybe even fall in love.Or, the coffee shop au that no one asked for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well! I am excited to share this fun fic with you all, a cheesy, fluffy, whirlwind romance and all the trials and tribulations that go along with it. Well, mostly cheesy fluffy goodness, let's be honest, this is a zannah-fic after all! I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> The title is taken from a film of the same name, it's not so much a romance, but the title was too good to pass up ;)  
> (un-beta'd all mistakes are of course my own!)  
> xx

One black coffee.

That’s how this all started, Kylo thought to himself as he sat in his usual spot in the café he spent his lunch breaks in. His cousin Rey worked here, along with her friends/roommates/lovers?, Poe and Finn, so during his lunch break he made sure to spend his hard earned company card at this local spot, as opposed to the big chains like Starbucks. It was in this local spot that one black coffee, an accidental spill, and an angry sneer turned wide-eyed stare, had Kylo absolutely smitten.

It didn’t help that the day all of this began – and Kylo wasn’t even sure what _all of this_ was – was the beginning of January, meaning _of course_ the café had to put out all of its New Year’s themed drinks and merchandise, reminding Kylo of just how lonely he was; starting the year off alone after having no one special to celebrate with. That was, of course, until a certain Armitage Hux came barreling into his life, quite literally.

Exactly one week ago, Kylo sat in that café and watched as a very young and nervous looking man ordered drinks for what had to be an entire section of an office of some sort, stammering over the final coffee, which Kylo assumed to be for the boss. The way the assistant’s voice shook reading over the order was nearly endearing to Kylo, the boy must have been newly hired – and coffee runs were some of the most important tasks one could be given, especially for an office settled in the city. Kylo watched the assistant stack up the carrying trays and hurry out of the café with an amused look on his face, and had turned back to the spreadsheets in front of him on his laptop.

No less than twenty minutes later, the boy was back, accompanied by the most stunning man Kylo had ever seen. It was a pity he had to run back to his own office, lunch break nearly over, because Kylo was positive he could stare at that man until the sun exploded and swallowed them all. The perfectly tailored suit, the shined shoes, even the brass lock on his briefcase glinted in the soft light of the café. He traced his eyes over the shape of the man’s shoulders, down to his narrow waist. He wanted to clasp his hands around that waist, see if his fingertips could meet around it.

The man hadn’t said anything but encouraging words to his assistant, instructions on how to properly order the drinks, and Kylo was lost in his voice. Irish, if Kylo had to guess, the lilt to the man’s voice just as lovely as his features.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Hux.” Rey, Kylo’s cousin smiled at the man as she handed the assistant a new batch of coffee.

“My deepest apologies for taking this long to pay a visit, work never seems to cease.” Mr. Hux had replied, giving an apologetic smile. Kylo wished he could see that smile up close, instead of from all the way across the café.

His phone had chimed just then, signaling the need to depart from the café, and with a heavy heart of all the maybes and what ifs, he packed up his own briefcase and headed towards the door. Kylo was in such a daze that he hadn’t realized the assistant had also moved towards the exit, and blinded by the new stack of drinks, had walked right into him.

The domino effect had never been realized in such a sitcom-show manner, then it had in that moment. To the tune of shocked gasps from the few other customers, the assistant, Mitaka – who Kylo learned the name of through Hux’s yelling – had dropped the coffees in a slight panic, absolutely covering them both in all manner of frappes and lattes in the process. The puddle that the coffee made caused Rey to slip as she rushed over to help, sending her tumbling down and somehow dragging Hux down in the process, who then knocked Kylo off of his feet and had him crashing down too. It felt like it had happened in slow motion, the dramatic arc of coffee flying through the air set to opera, or a medieval choir in Kylo’s mind. The look on Hux’s face, that curled sneer that slowly shifted to a deer in the headlights type of look when he saw Kylo falling into the puddle, would forever be burned into Kylo’s brain. It was like Hux had had some sort of revelation, like some great vision had come to pass.

The reality was the four of them sitting in a sticky pile, the hot coffee on everyone’s clothes starting to reach skin. They scrambled, shedding their outer suit jackets, or in Rey’s case, apron, before standing with all eyes on them in the middle of the café. For a terrifying moment, no one said anything, but then Rey began to laugh, turning her back on them to go find some cleaning supplies, and all the tension seemed to slip away.

“I am so sorry sir, I wasn’t able to see where I was going I – ” Mitaka had begun to rush, face turning bright red in shame.

“Hey, it’s okay, don’t worry about it.” Kylo put a hand on the boy’s shoulder to try and steady him, assurance in his voice. Mitaka took in a deep breath of air, until he looked down and saw the large dark stain in the blue fabric of Kylo’s trousers where he had fallen in the puddle.

“Oh no, your suit, it’s ruined! Oh this is all my fault – ” Mitaka started up again, and Kylo rushed to silence him.

“Really, it’s okay. Accidents happen.” Kylo said, not wanting to have the boy send himself into a panic attack.

“Mitaka why don’t you go help Miss Rey clean this mess up?” Hux suggested, finally brushing himself off of the ground and rummaging through his briefcase. He apparently kept a backup handkerchief there among his papers and whatever else, and used it to wipe coffee splatters from his face.

“Yes sir, of course sir.” Mitaka nearly bowed, before rushing off to follow the voice of a still laughing Rey, who had gone in the back to get a mop and bucket.

“I’m so sorry, he’s new.” Hux turned to meet Kylo fully for the first time, eyes reaching Kylo’s own. Kylo had to will his brain not to short circuit at the eye contact, up close Hux’s face was simply _unfair._ He had freckles, just a slight sprinkling of them, dusting his cheeks and nose. His lips had a perfect bow, and his cheekbones were sharp enough that they could probably slice his finger if he were to run it across.

“I can tell.” Was all Kylo managed. He didn’t trust himself to say anything more, his tongue had been known to betray him many times when it came to saying exactly what he was thinking.

“Where are my manners? I’m Hux, CEO of First Order Enterprises.” Hux introduced himself, reaching out a manicured hand for Kylo to shake. Kylo’s years of training kicked in and he moved on auto-pilot, taking the hand and giving it a firm shake.

“Kylo Ren, CEO of Empire Incorporated. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Kylo smiled, sure he looked silly in his stained trousers and white button down, hair still disheveled from being knocked down to the ground.

“The pleasure is mine, although I wish it could have been under better circumstances.” Hux sighed, giving a pitying look to the floor. The café employees were working on making the third set of drinks for Hux’s office, now that the floor was sufficiently mopped up. “Are you quite sure you’re alright? My assistant didn’t harm you or your work?” Hux asked, making sure Mitaka wasn’t in earshot.

“No offense to Mitaka, but I can take a little more damage then I think he’s capable of.” Kylo chuckled, not missing the way Hux’s eyes roved over Kylo’s chest. He almost wished the coffee had soaked through the white button down, so Hux could get a peek at his muscles he worked hard to maintain, but ultimately Hux blinked away with a smirk.

“Quite right. Well in any case, I feel awful about your suit. I know high quality when I see it.” Hux said, and something in Kylo’s stomach heated at the look of approval on his face.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve got a spare I keep in my office for emergencies such as this.” Kylo replied, prompting Hux to lift an eyebrow.

“Spill coffee all over yourself often?” Hux hummed, amused. Kylo couldn’t help but smile, completely unprepared to handle Hux’s charm.

“Something like that.” He chuckled, about to say something else, anything else to keep the conversation going, when his phone alarm chimed again. He _really_ needed to go, and it turned out that so did Hux and Mitaka.

“We must be off, we’ve wasted too much time as it is, and there are deadlines to be met.” Hux sighed, the phone chime bringing him back to his reality as well. He looked up at Kylo and gave a warm smile. “I hope we cross paths again one day, Mr. Ren.”

And with that, he and Mitaka were gone, out the door and down the street in an instant – careful to make sure not a drop of coffee was spilt.

 

 

That had been last week, exactly one week ago, and Kylo couldn’t get Hux out of his head. There was something so captivating about him, the way he held himself. From his seemingly effortless air of authority to his calculated and careful movements, he felt otherworldly, especially for being in a place like the city. He seemed just the perfect balance of old fashioned and modern, and Kylo wanted to know more.

“You’re daydreaming about him again, aren’t you?” Rey asked, materializing in front of him, holding a coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. He blinked, and then blushed, and then blinked again.

“What does it matter if I am?” He asked, face heating all the way to his ears as he gratefully accepted the coffee cup. Kylo himself couldn’t handle the bitter taste of coffee on its own, so he always got whatever overly sugared drink Rey was concocting that week in an attempt to keep the routine new and exciting.

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up in seeing him again. I’ve been making coffee for his office for about as long as I’ve worked here, and that was the only time he’s ever actually shown up.” She scoffed, taking the opportunity to scroll through her phone.

“It could happen again.” Kylo said, perhaps a little too defensively, because Rey just smiled sadly.

“Kylo, if he hasn’t shown up in an entire week, what makes you think he’ll randomly appear today?” She tried being reasonable, but if there was one thing about Kylo, it was his ability to believe in something as strongly as he could.

“Maybe he likes to do things on a schedule. You know, can only go to the café the same day each week, that sort of thing.” Kylo tried, making Rey laugh, shaking her head as if to say _you hopeless romantic._

“If you say so. Now drink your coffee.” Her smile and tone mimicked the message, and Kylo just rolled his eyes, content to do just the opposite now that he had been told to.

“Thank you Rey.” He called after her as she returned behind the counter.

 

It was maybe ten minutes later when Kylo heard the bell ding, and had to restrain himself from looking towards the door. He had gotten his hopes up for every single customer that had walked into the café, and each time it had not been Hux – so why should this customer be any different? Kylo had worked himself into somewhat of a sour mood, annoyed that his theory of Hux’s schedule-keeping plans had failed, and now was chastising himself for being like this. Rey was right, twice in one week when he hadn’t shown up in five years? Kylo had to form a new plan, one that would get him close to Hux – a business meeting, something, _anything_.

“Good afternoon, how can I help ya today?” Poe greeted the customer. Kylo didn’t bother to look up, he usually teased Rey from his spot when she was making drinks, to get her to laugh in front of customers, but he had no such banter with Poe.

“One medium black coffee please.” A very familiar voice spoke quietly, making Kylo’s head snap up so quickly something cracked. There he was, Hux!!

“Sure thing pal, is that going to be all?” Poe asked, completely oblivious to Kylo’s rapid fire heartbeat and now sweating palms.

Shit, he had hoped Hux would show up, but in reality, he didn’t actually have a plan for what he would do if he found himself in the same place as Hux again! He didn’t think he’d get this far to begin with!

“Yes, thank you.” Hux said, and for a moment, Kylo thought he might be dreaming – that Rey had finally put enough sugar and caffeine in his coffee to make him hallucinate.

Hux looked perfect, like a vision of loveliness in his sharp navy blue suit. He had his briefcase with him again, and his ginger hair styled neatly with gel, not a hair out of place. He stood with his back straight and his shoulders square, and Kylo got the overwhelming urge to rumple him.

“Can I get a name for your order?” Poe asked, cheerful as ever as he grabbed an empty cup and began scribbling all sorts of symbols.

“Hux.” He replied, making Kylo’s heart skip a beat. It was now or never, Hux would turn around and survey the café for a place to sit, and Kylo just so happened to have an empty seat across the table.

“Want some company?” Kylo called from his spot, lifting a hand to catch Hux’s attention as he turned from the register.

Shock crossed Hux’s face for barely a moment, before settling into somewhat of a polite, apologetic smile. He took a few steps away from the register, standing awkwardly by the pick-up counter as Finn made his drink. Kylo desperately wanted Hux to come sit with him, so he gave him his most convincing smile.

“I’m terrible company, I’d just work the whole time.” Hux replied, voice just loud enough for Kylo to hear.

“We could work together, I hear that’s supposed to be much more productive.” Kylo tried again, chewing the inside of his lip. Hux averted his eyes, looking like he might very well blush at any moment.

“I can’t stay very long.” Hux said, in a tone that suggested he very much did want to stay.

“I’ll enjoy every bit of productivity that I can get then.” Kylo grinned, pushing once more, not one for giving up. Hux chuckled and shook his head, before gathering his briefcase under his arm and finally, _finally,_ crossing the café to sit at the seat opposite Kylo.

He was so handsome up close, Kylo hadn’t forgotten of course, but being so near Hux made Kylo really realize it fully. The navy blue contrasted with the green in his eyes wonderfully, and even through the strain that Kylo could see in those eyes, they still managed to be clear and clever. Kylo couldn’t help but grin at his victory, feeling very pleased with himself. If only Rey could see them now!

“My my, I had heard the rumors but I daresay, they don’t do you justice.” Hux said suddenly, causing Kylo to frown.

“Rumors?” He asked, aware of his reputation for being difficult and kicking himself for his past outbursts. How had word of those “tantrums,” as Rey called them, reached Hux?

“I had been told the grandson of Anakin Skywalker was deviously handsome, but everyone has failed to mention your charm.” Hux smirked, cracking his knuckles and pulling his chair closer to the table.

“Charm?” Kylo nearly stuttered, completely surprised by the way this conversation had gone. People were saying good things about him? That had to either be some sort of fabrication on Hux’s part, Kylo knew he wasn’t considered attractive by any means, let alone _deviously handsome._

“Yes, charm.” Hux’s smirk grew, making his point.

“One black coffee for Hugs!” Poe called out, saving Kylo from giving another embarrassed one-word reply.

Hux stood up and retrieved his coffee cup from the counter, grabbing some napkins and a straw before clearing his throat.

“It’s Hux, thank you.” Hux corrected, making Poe smile brightly.  

“Not a problem, enjoy it Hugs.” Poe replied, apparently not having heard the correction. Kylo had to bite bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing, knowing exactly how Poe was, and that he probably wouldn’t ever call Hux by his real name again, now that he had some terrible nickname for him.

“What happened to Mitaka? Not looking for a new job, I hope?” Kylo asked, smile still on his lips when Hux returned. Mitaka hadn’t been back since the incident a week ago, instead it had been a nice young woman who must have been an intern that came to place and pick up the orders. She must have been good, because she hadn’t needed to come back to reorder anything once this week.

“No, not at all. He’s quite a good assistant, I have him out doing other tasks. Normally I’d send an intern, but I thought it might be nice to leave the office for lunch.” Hux blushed, making Kylo hopeful. Maybe he was in fact the type of person to come at the same day and time each week, maybe he could look forward to Hux’s visits every Tuesday.

“Lunch consists of a black coffee?” Kylo teased, watching Hux sip the steaming drink from a straw. Kylo had never seen someone drink hot coffee from a straw like that, and thought it simply added to Hux’s charm.

“I’m afraid that today it certainly does.” Hux sighed, eyeing his briefcase.

“We better get to work, have to prove all those studies right, after all.” Kylo winked, wanting nothing more than to abandon work entirely and talk with Hux instead. He knew they both had limited time, even more so now that lunch was half over, and Kylo would feel bad if he actually _hindered_ Hux instead of helped him. He did want him to come back, after all.

“Drink your coffee, Kylo.” Hux smiled, and Kylo found that when Hux said it, he actually wanted to.

 

The thirty minutes that followed were filled with very little talking, but Kylo was able to learn a lot about Hux, simply by his mannerisms. Hux was extremely methodical, which happened to be a stark contrast to Kylo’s organized chaos. Where Hux had things neatly stacked, Kylo had taken up nearly half the table with all his papers and sticky notes. Hux kept his coffee cup perfectly centered on its saucer, and Kylo had his resting on top of three manila folders that were stuffed to the brim.

Hux worked like a machine, Kylo often took peeks at Hux as he scanned over his laptop screen, eyes flicking over the text and blueprints that he was currently absorbed in. In Kylo’s somewhat obsessive internet search about Hux, he learned First Order Enterprises was an architectural engineering company, geared towards making buildings that could not only survive the test of time, but that were also sustainable. The blueprints reflected that, and Kylo had to quickly look away more than once, afraid Hux would catch him staring.

Kylo was supposed to be busy dealing with blueprints of his own, as Empire Inc. was primarily an aircraft parts manufacturer, but he kept getting lost in the micro expressions that would flit across Hux’s face whenever he encountered a minor problem. Kylo was enraptured by the way Hux’s fingers flew across the keyboard, how he would just barely pinch his eyebrows in annoyance when a figure wouldn’t work.

He barely even touched his coffee, he was so absorbed in his prints, startled when Kylo’s phone chimed, signaling the end of lunch. Rey must have been watching, because she gave Kylo a knowing look when he began to pack his things, and the two of them made eye contact.

“Time already?” Hux asked, checking his watch. Kylo happened to catch glance at it, and was impressed by the Rolex.

“I’m afraid so.” Kylo sighed, wishing they had all the time in the world. He wanted to exist in this warm and cozy space forever, but they both were busy men, and when time is up, it’s up.

“I hate to admit it, but you were right.” Hux said as he put his laptop into the briefcase along with his papers. “I was much more productive today than I have been during my normal lunches.”

“I’m glad.” Kylo smiled, genuinely happy. “It sounds like you should probably come again tomorrow, for productivity of course.” He tried, knowing he was probably pushing his luck. Kylo hadn’t been raised a quitter, that much was certain, and it seemed that Hux might actually like him too, if the occasional awkward blushes from eye contact, the bump of fingers, and the quiet hums of encouragement were anything to be believed.

“Careful Ren, or I just might be tempted to.” Hux warned, an amused glint in his eye.

Kylo let Hux have the last word, too flustered to respond. They just smiled at one another and threw their coffee cups into the compost bin – something that made the café so special was everything they used and sold was both ethically sourced and sustainable – before making their way to the door. Grabbing their coats and scarves from the hooks by the door, Kylo took the opportunity to appreciate the way Hux’s delicate fingers worked the buttons and tie of the soft tan Burberry trench coat.

“Bye Kylo, see ya Hugs!” Poe called from behind the counter, as Kylo held the door open for Hux.

“It’s _Hux!_ ” The ginger growled back, shaking his head before giving a smile and a wave to Kylo.

Without another word, Hux was walking away, bobbing and weaving through the busy streets of Manhattan off to his office. It took all of fifteen seconds for Kylo to realize he had forgotten to give Hux his phone number, and he cursed loudly. Thankfully, people cursing loudly in the streets was nothing special to see, and Kylo got a grip.

Getting an idea, he grinned and headed in the opposite direction towards his own office, cell phone out and dialing his own assistant.

“Hello Mr. Ren, what can I do for you?” The chipper voice sounded through his Bluetooth.

“Thanisson! Can you get me the phone number for a Mr. Hux of First Order Enterprises?” He smiled into the receiver, picking up the pace to his office.

“Of course sir, I should have it by the time you return.” Thanisson confirmed.

Kylo thanked him and hung up, nearly jogging through the frigid air to get to his office. He hoped that this plan would work, above all else, he hoped.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo falls, hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!! I'd like to first apologize for how absolutely late this chapter is. My plan was to get this thing finished over Spring Break, but my uncle passed away suddenly, and I've been dealing with that ever since. I know you are all so kind and patient with me, and I hope that you enjoy this soft and sweet chapter <3

The work day flew by quickly. Where Kylo had been so confident in his supposed plan only hours ago, now he was riddled with doubt, and his leg hadn’t stopped bouncing with anxiety for the better part of an hour. At first, he put off calling because he didn’t want to seem like a desperate stalker – immediately finding Hux’s number and not even giving the man a chance to sit down at his own desk felt suspicious in Kylo’s mind. So he had waited. And waited. Until all of a sudden, it became too late to call. Would Hux be in a meeting? Kylo didn’t want to intrude if he had a conference or something of similar matter. Would his assistant even answer the phone, not recognizing the number or expecting the call, especially now that it was this late in the work day?

Kylo groaned aloud, and in his frustration with his own self, picked up and threw a rubber stress ball at the wall, which only bounced right back onto the table and knocked over his pencil cup. He debated just leaving it there, not wanting to get out of his very comfortable chair, but his guilt got the better of him and he went to right the little porcelain jar and put all the fountain pens back inside it. He left far too many messes for the custodial and repair staff to deal with on a way too frequent basis, the least he could do was pick up his own damn pens, he thought.

Now that he was standing though, he began to pace. Would Hux even still be at the office? Of course he would, he appeared to have a work ethic of steel, if their lunch had been anything to go by. Not that Kylo didn’t appreciate that, because he absolutely did, but it made things complicated in that he had no clue how to ask him out. Kylo’s face flushed red then, what made him think Hux would even _want_ to go out with him? After all, all they did was sit across from one another for thirty minutes in relative silence and then leave.

“Mr. Ren?” Thanisson peeked his head into Kylo’s office, interrupting what would have probably become a fully blown spiral.

“Yes Thanisson?” Kylo replied, trying very hard not to appear the least bit ruffled – and failing.

“Sir, it’s seven-fifteen, I can stay late tonight if you need me.” Thanisson checked his watch before looking back up at Kylo. Everyone else usually left at 6pm, how had time had flown by so quickly?

“Shit, is it really? No, go home, I’m going to just take a few minutes to get my things together and then I’ll lock up.” It wasn’t an uncommon thing for Kylo to stay late, hopefully Thanisson wouldn’t think anything twice about it, and let him wallow in his self-induced anxiety in peace.

“Have a good night sir.” Thanisson said halfway suspiciously.

“Thank you Thanisson, you as well.” Kylo gave a timid smile and Thanisson started to close the door when he wrenched it back open suddenly, startling Kylo with his enthusiasm. Thanisson usually was reserved, especially towards the end of the day.  

“Oh! I almost forgot,” Thanisson became much more animated as he propped the door open with his foot, reaching to his desk to grab something bigger than Thanisson even was. “An assistant from another company left this for you, there’s a card, but it doesn’t have a name on it. I was given explicit instructions to wait until the end of the day to give it to you.”

“Thank you Thanisson, I’ll take it in here.” Kylo held his breath, heart racing.

_Could it be?_ He thought, watching his assistant struggle for a moment. Thanisson placed a heavily wrapped basket of sorts onto Kylo’s desk, and with a final nod, turned around to leave.

Kylo stared at it, waiting until he could hear the beep of the elevator to signal he was the last person in the office. He held his breath and plucked the card from it’s wire perch.

_Join me for coffee tomorrow?_

_H._

“You smooth bastard.” Kylo whispered, setting the card in his pocket and undoing all the wrapping. Really Kylo should have recognized it, considering he goes to the café every day, but he had been so entranced by the thought of Hux sending him something that it slipped his mind. Beneath the colored cellophane was an assortment of pastries, with the familiar _Java The Hutt_ logo on all the packaging.

He looked at his desk calendar, and then checked his phone calendar – he would have made Thanisson rearrange everything if he had actually bothered to take any meetings on a Saturday – thrilled to find that he was free. He never gave himself too much of a workload on Saturdays, opting to start his week early with Sunday paperwork, and of course weekly planning that really Thanisson should be doing.

His stomach rumbled, and taking note of the clock, a full hour and a half after he technically should have gone home, he decided to indulge and ate every single one of the pastries. He had to give it up to Finn, the man knew how to bake. Gathering up all his things, he popped in his headphones, turned off all the lights, and locked up the glass doors leading to this particular floor of the office building he owned.

 

* * *

 

Kylo loved living in the city, it gave him the opportunity to stretch his legs every time he walked to and from work. January in Manhattan was not the most forgiving in terms of weather, even if it had warmed significantly the past few days. Instead of below zero temperatures, Kylo only had to dress for _near_ freezing. He couldn’t wait for Spring to thaw through, even though that was still a very good ways away. He let music flow from his headphones randomly, trusting his playlist to give him a good selection. He wasn’t really listening too intently, instead daydreaming about coffee with Hux the next day. While he was excited, he was horribly nervous. It wasn’t a workday, so should he dress in casual clothing? Or was Hux planning on bringing more paperwork to sort through? Would they flirt? He spent the whole walk back, all twelve blocks up and five blocks over, trying to plan.

Stepping into the warmth of his apartment after saying hello to the doorman as per his every day routine, he let the heat creep back into his bones and let out a sigh of relief. Without a care, he dropped his coat and jacket and scarf onto the back of the couch and surveyed his living room.

_So empty_ , he thought with a twist of his lips.

He had long debated getting a pet of some sort, just to keep him company on nights where he didn’t have to be at the office so late, but he knew he wouldn’t have the sort of time a pet would require, and didn’t want to be neglectful. So, empty his apartment remained, and he tried to not dwell too much on that as he made his way through the kitchen.

Kylo called for his in-home smart speaker to play music, and that helped greatly. He sang along to some of the familiar songs as he put together a rudimentary dinner, consisting of mostly leftovers from the past week’s takeout, and plopped himself down in front of the television. Friday nights had been his cozy nights for quite some time, opting to watch reruns of reality tv instead of going out clubbing or drinking. He didn’t have many people to do that with anyway, and after one too many disastrous blackout incidents, he decided to call it quits on drinking altogether. So, what was a young, successful, single, bisexual man to do in the city on a Friday night? Watch old seasons of Project Runway and stress eat cold lo mein, of course.

About four episodes in, Kylo was starting to fall asleep, and was grateful for it. He tossed the empty containers into the sink to wash in the morning, and left the tv running for background noise as he showered. He took his time in the shower, letting the hot water slip over his shoulders and rinse the day away. He scrubbed the snow and frost from his hair, and exfoliated his whole body with the sugar scrub he impulsively made after watching too many youtube DIY videos. When he was first starting to become successful and could actually pay his water and heat bill, he hadn’t cared how long his showers took, but now that his uncle made it his life’s work to be a proponent for environmental conservation, living on an island in the middle of nowhere surrounded by puffins, a little voice in his head reminded him he was wasting water. The moment he shook the conditioner out of his hair, he turned the water off and immediately searched for his warm towel.

_I really need to invest in a tub._ Kylo thought to himself as he tied the towel around his waist and padded into his bedroom where he wrapped himself in the softest sheets that money could buy.

He fell asleep nearly as soon as his head hit the pillow, too warm and content to debate with the small voice in his head that told him to be nervous for his lunch date.

 

* * *

 

As with most things in Kylo’s life, punctuality was something he was trying to get better at, and nearly had a heart attack when he arrived to Rey’s café the next day. One look through the window at that shock of bright red hair had him wondering if he were late, but his watch said otherwise. Hux simply must like to arrive a full hour early too.

Kylo couldn’t help but grin as he pushed the door open, the little bell giving off a gentle _ding._ Hux had turned at the sound, and _oh_ how lovely he looked with the afternoon light softly falling across his face. Kylo had to blink a few times before willing his legs to move, too mesmerized by Hux’s eyes to do anything else.

“Early bird catches the worm.” Hux smiled, standing to greet Kylo. Before Kylo could engulf him in a big bear hug, Hux stuck his hand out for a shake. Kylo eagerly took it, and let their hands linger together for a moment or two before pulling his away.

“Any excuse to get out of the apartment.” Kylo laughed, moving to slide into the seat opposite from Hux. The fact that Hux had chosen the same table as last time, didn’t go unnoticed, and Kylo couldn’t have kept his smile away if he tried.

“Really? I would figure someone as busy as you would have loved to stay in and enjoy their weekend.” Hux mused, picking up the small mug and warming his fingers.

“I’d much rather spend time with you.” Kylo admitted, blushing immediately as he too reached for his mug.

“I hope you don’t mind that I’ve already ordered us something to drink. Ms. Rey brought something over for you, I’m not entirely sure what it is, but it looks like it’s got much more sugar than I could probably handle.” Hux gave Kylo’s concoction a concerned look that make Kylo chuckle into the whipped cream, effectively smearing some onto the tip of his nose.

“Thank you! I’m freezing.” Kylo swiped the whipped cream away and licked it off his fingers, the nail of which was slightly blue.

“Goodness did you walk here?” Hux asked, alarmed.

“Yes, actually.” Kylo laughed at Hux’s face. “I find the chance to stretch my legs very inviting, even in the cold like this.” He gestured to the frost on the window. It might be freezing outside, but in the café it was warm and cozy, especially with Hux in his casual clothes and a hot drink in Kylo’s hand.

“You’re much braver than me. I took one look at the snow outside and called my driver.” Hux’s whole face went warm and soft with a smile as he fidgeted with the ring of his mug. Kylo was relieved that Hux appeared to be as nervous as he was – that he wasn’t alone in his giddy feeling.

“Have you been waiting here long?” Kylo frowned, “I’m sorry, there wasn’t a time on the card, I didn’t know when you had in mind – ”

“No! Not long at all.” Hux rushed to interrupt, and Kylo relaxed a bit, settling down into the plush cushion of his chair.

He took a moment to really look at Hux, at how different he looked out of his expensive suit. There was still an air of finery to him, nothing remotely close to the handmade sweater and scarf Kylo’s mom had knit for him, but the pale blue sweater and black jeans complimented Hux’s sharp angles nicely. Instead of fancy Italian shoes, he wore boots that looked like they were lined with fur, and although he still wore a $400,000 watch, Hux looked like he belonged in _Java The Hutt_ , with his less severely parted hair and the mittens that were resting on the table.

“You look exceptionally comfortable today.” Kylo blurted, afraid that he had been staring for too long like a creep. Hux’s lilting laugh wormed its way right into Kylo’s chest, blossoming there.

“I think if I wore a suit every day I’d go mad.” Hux’s eyes sparkled as he took a drink of his black coffee, most likely taking in Kylo’s appearance.

Looking at him, no one would probably suspect Kylo was a millionaire. Between his worn sweater and scarf, his corduroy trousers, and scuffed boots, he looked like he might still be in college. Anyone passing by the café might look through the window and think nothing of him at all, not realizing they’ve flown on planes made of his parts. From the way Hux was looking at him, through his eyelashes that were _so red,_ Kylo gathered that Hux liked what he saw.

“You boys need anything?” Rey made her way over to their table just then, and Kylo and Hux snapped out of whatever spell they had been in.

“Nah Rey, we’re good, thank you for the coffee.” Kylo gave her a smile, not really taking his eyes off of Hux. Hux, for his part, leaned towards Rey, sitting upright in his chair.

“How do you two know one another?” He asked her, curiosity coloring his tone.

“He’s my cousin! Best one a girl could ask for.” Rey beamed, making Kylo blush. They had been through a lot together, but despite that it still came as a surprise that Rey genuinely seemed to enjoy Kylo’s company. “You know, when he’s not throwing tantrums like a twelve year old.” She added.

“Thank you Rey!” Kylo rushed, turning back to Hux to try and avoid any embarrassing stories. Kylo swore Rey and Leia were the same in that regard.

“No really, he’s loud and obnoxious, but has a heart of gold.” She continued, a shit eating grin plastered to her face as she shifted her weight onto one foot, gearing up to tell a story of some sort.

“Rey, oh my _god_.” Kylo groaned loudly into his hands, and Hux just laughed. That sound was almost worth it – almost.

“He might look tough but he’s a total softie. One time, he came into the shop crying because he found out geese could be gay, and he thought that was so sweet – ”

“Don’t you have any other customers to get to?” Kylo snapped, face beet red. He could feel the heat in his face reach all the way to the tips of his ears, and Rey just winked and bounced away to another table, who seemingly was oblivious to Kylo’s torment.

“She’s charming.” Hux was still laughing, bright and filled with light. It was such a good look on him, Kylo thought.

“She’s a terror.” He muttered, taking a long sip of whatever coffee Rey had whipped up for him. Hux was right, it was extraordinarily sweet, the kind that stuck to the roof of one’s mouth.

“Glad to know you’re fond of gay geese.” Hux said, voice still shaky with laughter.

“You’ll find I’m fond of all manner of gay things.” Kylo tried being smooth, only realizing how cringey it sounded until it was out of his mouth.

“That was horrible.” Hux’s laugh started up again with full force, and Kylo felt free.

“Yeah it was.” He admitted, apology in his tone.

They laughed again for a little while, all of the nervous energy dispelling between them. Sitting back and relaxing, with their legs stretched out under the table, just slightly touching one another, Kylo couldn’t remember the last time he was this content. Hux hummed a song Kylo didn’t recognize, sipping his coffee and looking out the window at the passerbys who rushed to get out of the cold. Kylo wanted to learn more about Hux, to spend more time with Hux.

“I’m really glad you decided to meet me today, I think I might have died of embarrassment otherwise.” Hux blushed lightly, the pink on his cheeks highlighting his freckles beautifully. He spoke softly, in such a shy manner that Kylo wanted to wrap him up in a blanket, and spend Friday nights watching TV and eating Chinese food together.

“If I’m being honest, you’ve been on my mind a lot, since our first meeting last week.” Kylo said, getting shy himself.

“Only good things I hope.” Hux looked up, taking Kylo’s breath away.

The way Hux looked at him, like he was the only person in that small café, filled Kylo with such warmth that he needed to literally get a grip on the edge of his chair, afraid he would tip to the side and fall off without even noticing. Kylo desperately needed to figure out their schedules, to see when they could meet next, not wanting to wait a whole new week. They had time now, thankfully, before the meetings and out of town conferences would inevitably keep them apart, but if Hux thought Kylo was worth another date – because this _was_ a date, wasn’t it? – he could wait as long as he needed to see Hux again.

“Yeah, only good things.” Kylo smiled back, letting his hand rest closely next to Hux’s.

Hux got the hint, and interlaced their fingers, as snow fell in soft flurries outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!   
> I hope you all are having a very happy Passover, and have a wonderful Easter :)   
> As always, your comments and kudos mean the world to me, please feel free to chat with me here, or to find me on tumblr @cowboykylux if you'd like! <3  
> See y'all in the next update! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo messed up, Hux is upset, and they both have some feelings to hash out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhhhh my gosh, I am so sorry for how long this has taken me. School and life are both very hard, but at least I am finally finished with school for the summer! I know this story is supposed to be very fluffy and soft and sweet, buuuuuut sometimes there's some surprise angst. So, surprise! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

They had spent _hours_ in the café, half of that time with their feet intertwined underneath the table, laughing and joking and just _talking._ Kylo couldn’t help but think about how little he really spoke to people. Sure there was Rey, and the obligatory daily conversations with clients and his employees, but aside from the monthly phone calls to his mother, he never spoke in great detail to anyone. Truthfully, Kylo didn’t really think it was a necessary thing, but sitting across from Hux and watching the snow fall behind him made him want to spill his guts.

They had spoken on all manner of things, from petty office quarrels to parental relationships. He and Hux seemed to have a mutual dislike for their fathers, something they bonded over in great detail. Kylo had joked that Hux should just kill him, and Hux had winked, making Kylo snort into his coffee, getting whipped cream all over the damned place, which only made them laugh harder. Kylo felt drunk, so completely enveloped in this giddy feeling that he hadn’t found since the last time he flew a plane.

Hux was a fantastic listener. At first, he had been hesitant to speak, too afraid to share too much. So he listened instead, to get a sense of how deep they would be going into their lives on this first date – it _was_ a date, right? He had confessed that he wasn’t very good at small talk, and Kylo launched directly into a story about how he changed his name and ran away, in an attempt to make Hux feel less anxious about opening up.

Hux hadn’t said much, only that he was from a small town in Ireland, and that he came overseas to escape the overbearingly critical eye of his father. He mentioned someone named Millicent who helped him calm down, and Kylo tried his best not to get jealous. Millicent could be a friend after all, or a cousin, like how Kylo had Rey to confide in. Kylo figured Hux was a very private person, not wanting to open himself up for rejection, so he tried to be as reassuring as possible, with gentle touches every now and again – a brush of fingers, or toes bumping against Hux’s shiny shoes. Hux always let out a soft breath whenever Kylo did that, almost like he was holding it in.

All of the customers had left, and it was nearing closing time for the café. Rey simply gave Kylo a look from where she was wiping up the counters, and he frowned, not wanting to have to get up.

“Everything okay?” Hux asked, noticing Kylo’s change of expression. Kylo looked back to Hux with a somewhat guilty expression, suddenly aware of exactly how much time they had spent in the small café.

“I think we’re being kicked out.” Kylo scratched the back of his neck, trying to find some way to keep being around Hux for a little while longer.

“Shit, it’s late, huh?” Hux said, more or less to himself as he looked down at his watch.

“Kind of, I don’t mind at all!” Kylo rushed to say, “But they gotta lock up in a few.” He gestured to the emptiness of the place, they were the only patrons left, and it was dark outside.

Hux nodded, and the two of them stood up in perfect unison, clearing their table with fond smiles on their faces. They turned around to say goodbye to Rey, but she had already gone to the back, presumably to finish up the closing routine. They piled on their coats and jackets and scarves, and Kylo held the door for Hux as they stepped over the threshold.

“This was really nice, Kylo.” Hux said, looking right at him. Hux’s eyes were cold, the wind stinging just a little bit, but he was perfectly content to stand there for another hour if it meant Kylo would be standing there with him.

“Thank you for inviting me. We should do it again.” Kylo smiled, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind Hux’s ears. They had been together for so long that Hux’s gel was starting to wear off, but even still, Hux looked heavenly.

“I would like that very much.” Hux replied softly, eyes trailing the motion of Kylo’s hand as it returned to his side. Hux wanted very much to hold his hand, but he wasn’t sure how well that would play out, so instead, he funneled that nervous energy into lighting a cigarette, and sliding it between his lips.

Hux was not very good at _this_ and he didn’t want to blow it, especially since Kylo seemed to meet every single one of Hux’s very high standards. He didn’t want to rush into anything too soon, but he also didn’t want to play so hard to get that Kylo lost interest. Instead of dwelling on it for too long (he would wait for that until could overanalyze everything back at his apartment with Millie), he sucked in a deep drag of his cigarette, letting the nicotine sweep through his nerves and calm him.

Kylo watched him for a little while, appreciating how his hands looked so slender holding the thin cigarette, and fished one out of his jacket pocket. The corner of Hux’s lip quirked up in an understanding smile, and he leaned forward enough to allow Kylo to spark the end of the cigarette with Hux’s own. They stood together in the cold, watching the snow flurries fall ever so gently.

“Are you doing anything tomorrow?” Kylo finally asked, unsure if he would seem too eager.

“I actually have to go out of town for a conference, I leave tomorrow.” Hux sighed, kicking himself for booking his flight far too early. 

“Mind me asking which one?” Kylo chanced. There was no way he could attend, not this short notice, but it was nice to know about Hux and his work. He wanted them to be friends – well, he wanted them to be more than friends one day, but he was genuinely interested in Hux and his career.

“The International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development. It’s in Malaysia this year.” Hux rattled off, as if he had said the title so many times that it was a programmed response.

“Those are a lot of words.” Kylo couldn’t help but chuckle, and Hux hummed a laugh with him.

“Yes they are, but I’ll be back in a few days. Maybe next weekend we can meet here again?” He looked so hopeful, Kylo almost couldn’t get his mouth to form the words fast enough.

“I’ll be there.” He grinned. Hux smiled back, and flicked the ash away from his cigarette.

“Do you want me to give you a ride back to your apartment?” He said suddenly, remembering the last time he saw Kylo here he had walked away to wherever he worked or lived. A car drove past them rather quickly, spraying slush onto the sidewalk only a few feet away from where they were standing.

“If it wouldn’t impose terribly.” Kylo knew when to admit defeat, he liked to walk, but he liked being around Hux more. Hux whipped his phone out and sent a message to his driver, and then pocketed the phone once again.

“Not at all! My driver should be here in about five minutes, do you think Miss Rey will allow us to stay inside until then?” Hux nodded to the door they were standing outside of. The lights were still on, and Rey hadn’t come to lock the doors yet, she was probably still in the back doing inventory with Finn or Poe.

“I’m sure that’s okay, and if not, Rey will just yell at me tomorrow when I come again for lunch.” Kylo shrugged, opening the door for Hux once again.

Despite being in the warmth of the café, they still stood close together, not wanting to part just yet.

“Do you come here every day?” Hux asked with a raised eyebrow, making Kylo’s face heat.

“Yeah, it’s too much hassle to cook at my apartment and bring lunch in every day, so I come here. They make great sandwiches, and I get to support local business that happens to be run by family. It’s a win win all around.” Kylo defended his lunch habits, but Hux had a teasing glint in his eye that made Kylo relax a little.

“Why do I get the feeling you just can’t cook and live off of takeout?” Hux mused, eyebrow still raised.

“I’ll have you know I make delicious dinners. I just have no real reason to go through all that work, is all.” Kylo responded, mock annoyance in his voice that made Hux smirk.

“I’m not convinced, you’ll have to prove it to me when I get back from my conference.” He simply replied, making Kylo’s cheeks heat once more. “Ah he just pulled up, shall we?” Hux said, the headlights of a Lexus flashing yellow as it pulled up to the curb.

They made a bit of a run for it, careful not to slip on the ice and slush that covered the sidewalk. The car was nice, very expensive, with polished leather furnishings and an array of settings already pre-determined to make their drive back comfortable. Kylo was very grateful for the heated seats, but he found that being pressed up against Hux like this was a more welcoming feeling. When they were seated at the café, they chose to sit across from one another, to properly pay attention to conversation and enjoy each other’s company. Now, sitting next to one another, only enough space for them to have an inch or two distance, felt much more intimate.

“Where do you live?” Hux said, his voice low. Kylo blinked, forgetting there was a third person in the car for a moment, before clearing his throat.

“Hudson Square, Greenwich street.” Kylo replied, and Hux gave him a look of approval. Kylo wondered where Hux lived, if he was anywhere near the same part of town. He had to have been, maybe even somewhere nicer, with the way that he carried himself.

“Yes sir.” The driver responded, before putting the screen up that divided the two halves of the car.

Kylo and Hux looked at one another for a moment, but sat in silence the entire car ride. Kylo spent the ten minutes debating whether he should say something, but eventually decided against it. Instead, he watched the city fly by them as they made their way to his building, completely unaware of Hux eyeing him carefully.

When they finally rounded the corner and slowed to a stop, Kylo turned back to Hux, and smiled at him.

“I hope you have a safe flight tomorrow.” He said, collecting his things that he had placed between his feet.

“Thank you, enjoy the rest of your weekend.” Hux smiled back, feeling nervous again. He needed another cigarette.

Without another word, Kylo got out of the car, and gave a small wave to Hux before closing the car door. The Lexus began to move forward again, and got a few yards away from where Kylo was dropped off, before he was running after the damn thing. Hux must have seen him, because the car slammed on its brakes, and the window rolled down.

“What are you doing?” Hux asked him as he scooted over to the open window, voice close to yelling from sheer surprise. They were in the middle of the street, the light about to turn green.

“I almost forgot, call me!” Kylo said, giving Hux his business card, the office number scratched out, and instead on the back he had written his cell phone number.

“What?” Hux looked from the card to Kylo’s face, and back down to the card. Then back up to his face again for good measure. His hair was blown about by the wind and from his running, his eyes sparkled from the cold, and there were red splotches high on his cheeks from a combination of emotions and weather, and Hux thought he had never seen a more handsome person in all his life.

Kylo rashly leaned in and kissed him for all of three seconds before the traffic light turned green, and the driver had to accelerate away. Hux wanted to shout something at Kylo, to tell him he would call, or that he wished they could keep kissing all night, but instead he rolled up his window as his driver picked up speed, and pressed the business card against his lips.

Kylo stood there, adrenaline coursing through his veins, watching the Lexus weave through traffic. He was proud of himself for mustering up the courage to do such a thing. He had only ever seen a stunt like that in the movies, and it felt good to be able to act on his feelings for once in his life. He just hoped he hadn’t ruined everything, and prayed that Hux would call him at some point during the conference.

 

* * *

 

Hours passed, and still Kylo heard nothing from Hux. Anytime his phone made a noise, he would practically tear it out of his pocket to check the notification, but every time, it wasn’t Hux. Kylo sighed, with each notification and high hopes brought a crushing weight to his chest.

When he ate breakfast, he would glance at the phone every now and again, his brain playing tricks on him. He would see a light flash, or hear a buzz, but whenever he checked, there would be nothing there. He told himself it was because Hux was busy, he was at a conference after all. He was probably tired after all the panels, and expos, and talks. For all Kylo knew, he probably was a part of those panels, or gave talks of his own. Of course he wasn’t going to send Kylo a message right away.

At the office, he would get anxious. He asked Thanisson to keep an eye on the flight schedules, to make sure that whatever planes Hux could possibly be on left and arrived safely. Of course, in the solitude of his office, he constantly checked them himself, needing the confirmation that Hux was safe. He was dizzyingly relieved to see that the only flights Hux really could have taken, were on planes made of Empire’s parts. If there were any planes he trusted to take Hux where he needed to go, it was his own company’s.

He bypassed Thanisson and tried calling Hux’s office, but the cheerful assistant Mitaka informed him that Hux was still out of town upon picking up. Kylo didn’t bother to leave a message, or even tell Mitaka that it was Kylo calling. He just hung up the phone and sighed. He tried throwing himself into the work, forcing his anxieties to the side.

The hours turned into days. With all the tragic possibilities ruled out, Kylo came to the soul crushing realization that Hux just didn’t want to talk to him. The thought came to him just before closing time, and he sat in his office chair frozen. He stared at his phone, and wanted to cry. If he hadn’t acted so stupid, so quickly, so without thought, maybe they would have had another date. Maybe Hux would have come over to Kylo’s apartment, and they would have eaten the dinner that Kylo had been dreaming about making for him. Maybe they would have gone to the opera, or to a show on Broadway. Kylo dreamed of seeing Hux outside the café, anywhere at all. Instead, there was nothing but silence. He didn’t even have Hux’s personal number to send the first message. All he could do was wait.

He eventually turned his phone off.

He still went to the coffee shop, still spent his lunch hour with Rey, people watching and getting work done. He was having doubts, but he couldn’t afford to let them get in the way of his work. He was spearheading a very important merger that would make Empire Inc’s pipeline much more efficient, and the negotiations were extremely delicate. It wasn’t so much a merger as it was a hostile takeover, but Kylo was convinced that it was what’s best for the future of aeronautics. Besides, it would make Empire that much more powerful, and who wouldn’t want that?

Thirteen days after his date with Hux, Kylo was sitting in his office, waiting on an email when he let boredom take control. With no expectations whatsoever, he turned his phone back on, and was met immediately with so many messages that his phone nearly froze. A spike of anxiety ran through him, especially when he saw they were all from the same unsaved number. It had to have been Hux, he doesn’t give his personal number out to anyone he doesn’t know. He was almost afraid to open them, the (6) next to the number intimidating.

He stared at his phone and waited for any more notifications to come through, a missed call and voicemail from his mother, but other than that, nothing. Before he could unlock his phone and see what Hux had needed six messages to say, the door to his office knocked.

“Mr. Ren, your two-thirty is here.” Thanisson peeked his head into the office. Thanisson had been more concerned about Kylo the past few days. It wasn’t hard to miss his mood, the tension in the air almost crackled around him like an electric force field.

“Of course, send her in please.” Kylo responded, feigning pleasantry. Kylo had only learned of his two-thirty meeting that morning, it had been a last-minute addition to his schedule. He had initially had that thirty-minute window available for crying on his sofa, but it looked like that would have to wait.

Thanisson opened the door fully to allow a striking woman into the office. She was tall, probably taller than Kylo if she were wearing flats, but her high heels elevated her that much further so she towered over him. He recognized her immediately, she was one of the top people in the weapons division of the British military, and any chance to work with her would be a welcome one.

“Ms. Phasma, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Please, make yourself comfortable.” He said, extending a hand. She shook it with confidence and sat down in one of the chairs across from his desk.

“Thank you Mr. Ren, but please, just Phasma is fine.” She replied, her voice crisp and sharp. She didn’t smile at him, exactly, but she didn’t seem outwardly hostile, which Kylo appreciated. He was sure that if anyone yelled at him in that moment he would just burst into tears. 

“Can I offer you something to drink? I understand it’s quite the trip to come all the way out here.” He joked. Phasma spent a great deal of her time in the United States, but her luxurious vacation home was a decent forty-five minutes away from Kylo’s office – and that was without traffic and snow.

“That would be very much appreciated, a cup of hot tea, if you have.” She requested and Kylo nodded immediately.

“Not a problem at all. Thanisson, would you be so kind?” He said to his assistant, who hadn’t left the room yet. He was a good kid, and Kylo appreciated that he followed directions well.

“Yes sir.” Thanisson replied before leaving.

“I’m rather pleased you were able to see me, your schedule is quite booked these days.” Phasma said, adjusting her skirt and looking down at her perfectly manicured nails.

“I’m glad our schedules lined up for this meeting, you’re pretty hard to track down yourself.” Kylo pointed out. In fact, he was very surprised at all that she managed to see him, she was usually entirely booked whenever she was in the States. Thanisson returned with an entire tray of tea related items, allowing Phasma to fix her drink however she liked. “Thank you Thanisson.” Kylo dismissed him.

Phasma spent a good long while selecting her tea, stirring in the sugar, and taking a few tentative sips. Kylo waited for her to speak first, since she was after all, a guest in his office.

“Before we get into business,” she said, delicately placing the teacup back onto the tray with a little more force than necessary. Kylo gulped. “I feel I have to make it known that we have a mutual friend in Mr. Hux.”

“You know Hux?” Kylo said, way too quickly.

“I do. He’s rather upset, you see.” Phasma narrowed her eyes, and Kylo felt like the floor was falling under him. He used to have nightmares about the office floor collapsing in on itself, and he felt like those had all been visions, come to fruition right now.

“What happened?” He whispered, heart hammering in his chest. It was the first time in over a week someone had mentioned Hux to Kylo, and he was entirely unprepared to deal with the wash of anxiety and betrayal and embarrassment that came with it.

“It seems a certain tall, dark, and handsome man got his hopes up and led him on.” Phasma gave him a look that surely had struck down weaker men, but it just confused Kylo.

“You can’t mean me.” He said, because after all, Hux was the one that had crushed _his_ heart, not the other way around.

“I do. What the hell did you do to my friend, to make him call me at three in the morning the night he got back from Malaysia, after a conference that was supposed to be the highlight of his career?” Phasma sounded as angry as she looked now, but Kylo’s brain was starting to spiral.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, is he safe? Is he hurt?” He asked, ready to call the entire NYPD to find him.

“Oh now you care?” Phasma rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of herself.

“What do you mean? Of course I care!” Kylo hissed, his own temper rising.

“Then why have you been ignoring him for the past five days?” She demanded, slamming her palms down on the desk.

Ignoring him? Five days? Kylo’s eyes trailed to his phone, to the blinking green light indicating a text message. No, not just one message, but six. Six messages from an unsaved number, that had to have been from Hux. Messages that he has no idea when were actually sent, that he had just gotten only a few minutes ago.

“Oh shit.” Kylo whispered, grabbing his phone.

“’Oh shit’ is right. You’ve got some nerve, kissing him like that and then cutting it off when he’s out of town not even able to defend himself. The only reason I’m even telling you all of this is because he’s too proud, and would probably wallow in despair if left unattended.” Phasma read him the riot act, and was just about to start yelling in earnest when Kylo put his hands up in surrender.

“Please, please you have to listen to me, I didn’t mean to ignore him, I had no idea he sent me any messages at all until only a few moments ago.” He tried explaining.

“Am I supposed to believe a man like you isn’t glued to his phone 24/7?” She scoffed.

“I’m not, really. Fuck, I thought I blew everything, when he didn’t send me so much as a text after I gave him my number. I thought I ruined it by going too fast, and that he didn’t reach out to me because he never wanted to see or hear from me again.” His brain was running faster than he could keep up, cycling through all the terrible thoughts that he had worked to push down.

“Jesus, you two really are a match made in heaven.” Phasma groaned into her hand.

“Fuck! I felt so stupid, anytime my phone made a noise I thought it was him. And when it wasn’t, it just made me feel worse for even thinking that he might like me back. After a couple days I just turned off my phone.” Kylo was pacing now, running his hand through his hair.

“And let me guess, you just turned it on right now?” She asked with a raised eyebrow that was so _Hux_ that of course the two were probably best friends.

“Yes! And I saw I had six messages from him, and then you arrived, and now here we are. Oh my god, now I really did blow it!” He wanted to trash the place, he wanted to punch the walls and shatter the windows and splinter his desk into pieces.

“Okay, calm down.” Phasma rounded the desk and put steadying hands on his shoulders. Kylo was shaking, afraid, and embarrassed, and angry, but most of all _hopeful._  “I can’t believe he sent you six messages, he _never_ sends more than one text at a time.” She frowned.

“I’m afraid to look at them.” Kylo admitted, scared that he’ll see the nasty thoughts that have been plaguing him for over almost two weeks.

“If I know Hux – and I do, very well – the best way to apologize is to do some grand gesture, and make sure it never happens again.” She punctuated her last words with a jab to his chest, and Kylo sighed.

“Grand gesture?” He asked.

“Hux likes loyalty, he respects people who respect him. If you do something to show him you care, that you’re not just toying with him, he’ll understand. But you have to do something, I’m tired of seeing my friend drowning his sorrows in rosé.” She frowned again, and jabbed him in the chest once more with her finger.

“Okay, okay. Alright. Okay. I can do that.” Kylo babbled, running a hand through his hair.

“You’re panicking.” Phasma sighed.

“Of course I’m panicking!” Kylo snapped back, immediately regretting it. He didn’t even know this woman, what a horrible first impression.

“Just open the fucking messages, and sort this out. You’re both very accomplished adults, and I have things I have to do.” Phasma stepped away from him and began to collect her things.

“I thought you were here for business?” Kylo asked stupidly, making her laugh.

“You know, I had half a mind to come in here and say that we would never do business with you or your company, but that was when I thought you were just some jackass breaking Hux’s heart. Now I see you’re just as much of a wreck as he is, I know you can’t be all that bad. Fix this thing with Hux, my assistant will be in touch with yours.” She did smile at him then, something kind and genuine.

“I’m sorry for all the trouble.” Kylo said sheepishly, but Phasma just waved it away.

“Nonsense. Oh, you wouldn’t happen to know any good place around here to get coffee, would you? That tea didn’t have quite as much caffeine as I needed.” She asked, and Kylo immediately perked up.

“Java The Hutt, it’s a five minute walk, 30 second drive from here. Ask for Rey, she makes the best coffee you’ve ever had.” He said confidently, making her smile once again.

“That’s quite a claim. Have a good day Mr. Ren.” She walked almost out the door entirely, before turning back and shouting, “And talk to Hux!” before letting the door swing shut.

Kylo looked down at his phone and finally unlocked it. He saw the messages spanning out over a five day period of time, one message a day, except the last two messages. Those came in on the same day.

**Unsaved Number 3:45pm:** _Kylo, this is Hux. I apologize for the delay, my phone doesn’t have the best signal in Malaysia as it turns out. I know this isn’t the best way to say this, but I like you very much, and I miss you more. I wish you were here with me at this conference, although I know it has nothing to do with your field. I hope you don’t find me silly for saying so, but I’m looking forward to seeing you when I return._

Attached was a photograph of Hux’s view from the hotel room, and Kylo’s chest tightened. It was a beautiful cityscape, but the most beautiful thing about it was Hux’s reflection in the window. He looked exhausted, likely he had just stepped off the plane. Kylo felt like an idiot, thinking Hux had never wanted to hear from him again, when the first thing it looked like Hux did was send a photo to Kylo. 

**Unsaved Number 8:13am:** _Hello, I hope I’ve sent my message to the correct number. If this is not, in fact Mr. Ren, please let me know._

Kylo’s throat closed up, this was the beginning of the end surely.

**Unsaved Number 4:32pm:** _I’m assuming this is your phone Kylo. I hope you’re all right, the messages say they’ve gone through. If this is about me telling you I like you, well I do. I like you very much. I’d like to attempt some sort of relationship when I return. I thought that you liked me as well, after all, you ran through the streets of Manhattan to kiss me. Please respond so I know I’m not wrong._

**Unsaved Number 2:29am:** _Was I toyo forw ard? I’mmm s orry if oiu were only looking for a fling you should have told me. I wou ld have been fien woth that._

Hux was drunk, it was the only explanation for the typos and keysmashes. Kylo felt terrible, but he kept reading.

**Unsaved Number 11:06pm:** _Fuck you Kylo. You think you can just sweet talk me and kiss me and then pretend like I don’t exist? I was hoping you’d respond by now so I could let you know that I’ll be getting on my plane this evening, but it’s become apparent you don’t care. Well guess what, I don’t either. Not anymore. You won’t make a fool out of me again._

**Unsaved Number 3:00am:** _I dddon’t know wheth er 2 b livid or worried about yo u. i d on’t want to care but I stilllkl do. i wanbt to delet e tour number and never try again but here I am. i’m pathetic. Fuck yu ou. what have you done to me?_

Drunk again. He felt like shit, but before he could scream, before he could break anything, he had to get to Hux, and he knew that a message or calling him wasn’t going to be enough.

He had to do something grand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! Now don't worry, this is the only chapter with any sort of angst in it, it's all soft and fluffy from here on out. Thank you all so much for putting up with my absence, I am glad to say that I'm back and should have this thing finished up within the next week or so, so please be on the lookout for that!! 
> 
> As always, please feel free to come talk to me about this story, or kylux in general, either in the comments below or over on tumblr where you can find me at @cowboykylux ! 
> 
> See you all in the next chapter! x

**Author's Note:**

> What is Kylo's plan? Will he be able to get a hold of Hux?? Will Poe ever call Hux by his real name??? The world may never know!!
> 
> Or at least the world will have to wait a week to find out ;) 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter, please please let me know what you think in the comments below! As always, i'd love to talk with y'all, so please feel free to find me on tumblr @cowboykylux if you'd like to talk about the fic, the boyz, or anything at all!  
> You are all so wonderful and I thank you all for reading!!!  
> <333


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